Construction on Huron Valley Humane Society to start in spring

Construction of a 29,000-square-foot Huron Valley Humane Society shelter, an $8 million project, is set to begin next spring.

The building replaces a 56-year-old building past its prime. "It's a sick facility," said Tanya Hilgendorf, executive director. "It's a hazard to our mission."

Robert RameyTanya Hilgendorf of the Huron Valley Human Society.

A capital campaign launched a year ago and jump started by a $1 million pledge from a family that came to the shelter looking for a pet, has raised $5.5 million, Hilgendorf said.

Washtenaw County donated an additional $1 million and pledged to sell $6.5 million in bonds for the project, which the Humane Society will pay off. The Humane Society hopes to have fundraising for the project completed by the time ground is broken but will continue its efforts after construction has begun if the goal hasn't been met.

The project

Cost: $8 million, includes purchase of land.

Size: 29,000 square feet.

Location: Adjacent to current facility on Cherry Hill Road.

Work: To begin in spring 2008.

Architect: A3C Architects, Ann Arbor.

Construction: Phoenix Contractors, Ypsilanti.

The project is expected to be completed by summer 2009.

The new shelter will be on property adjacent to the current facility at 3100 Cherry Hill Road. The project cost includes the land purchase.

The current facility is cramped, noisy, dark, offers little chance for separate spaces for dogs and cats, has poor air quality and has cracked concrete floors that harbor disease, Hilgendorf said. "It's a very stressful facility." It is 11,000-square-feet and has between 100 to 150 animals on any given day, serving about 10,000 animals a year.

The new facility, designed by A3C Architects in Ann Arbor, will include separate areas for cats and dogs, bigger cages, a large multipurpose room for community education and dog training, larger spaces for spaying and neutering, retail space, and adoption and education counseling offices, said Jan Culbertson, A3C principal and project director.

It also includes several "real life rooms" that have couches and furniture to create a home-like setting.

"It will be far less stressful. Right now, the dog kennel is a 6-foot corridor with cages on both sides, so the dogs face each other. You walk down and it becomes a barking gantlet." Dogs will not face each other in the new shelter.

Ypsilanti-based Phoenix Contractors will oversee construction.

The building also includes "green" design such as a geothermal heating and cooling system and an environmentally friendly air exchange system. Solar tubes, more efficient than skylights, will bring daylight in. The natural buffer of trees will be maintained, and native plants will be included in the landscaping, Culbertson said.

When the current facility was built in 1951, Humane Societies were considered solely holding tanks for unwanted animals. "The thrust of the day was about warehousing as many animals as you can. There's a different vision about animal welfare today," Hilgendorf said. "Today, the focus is on adopting the animals to loving homes."

The close quarters and noise can create behavior problems, which can make adoptions difficult. And the conditions create stress among the animals that can lead to disease, which also thwarts adoption. "The facility works against us," Hilgendorf said. Adoptions are expected to double once the new facility comes on line, she said. Euthanasia is also projected to fall.

The shelter will be able to handle 30 percent more animals - essential as the county grows.